Camp Notebook: Spirits soar for Golden Eagles on first day

Photo: Tyler York (left) and freshman Doug Page
tangle in a drill Monday during first day of Fall camp -- photo by
Thomas Corhern, Cookeville Herald-Citizen

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Spirits were extremely high Monday afternoon
as Tennessee Tech went through a two-and-a-half hour workout on
Overall Field, the team's first action of fall camp.

Coach Watson Brown and his staff ran the 90 Golden Eagle players
through a wide variety of drills and got their first look at 19
newcomers including 15 freshmen. It was the first of two days in
shorts and helmets.

"It was a very good first day," Brown said as he began his 26th
season as a collegiate head coach and 39th season as a collegiate
coach overall. "We got a chance to see everybody. I haven't seen
them on the field in three months. I saw improvement in everyone in
terms of their overall looks. They have worked hard in the
off-season and it showed.

"The big thing is we made it through with no injuries, there was a
nice breeze that came through here about halfway through, and it
wasn't bad for a 98- or 99-degree day. The summer was so hard for
them, I think a lot of them were looking forward to the start of
camp so they could get away from (strength coach) Chip (Pugh),"
Brown joked.

One player who was thrilled to be back in action was runningback
Jocques Crawford, a senior from Memphis, Tenn., who came to Tech a
year ago from Kansas University. Sitting out the 2009 campaign as a
redshirt due to NCAA transfer rules following a solid season with
the Jayhawks, Crawford spent two weeks on the scout team last fall
before he was sidelined by a shoulder injury.

A 6-1, 238-pound bulldozer from Cordova High School who was the
Junior College National Player of the Year in 2007, Crawford missed
all of spring workouts, so he was on the field Monday for the first
time in a year.

"I was a little rusty, but I had a lot of fun," Crawford said.
"It's my last go-round and I really plan to enjoy playing this
season. I feel like I'm catching on quickly but there's always room
for improvement."

Crawford was impressed with the talent lining up around him
Monday.

"With the teammates I have, we have a chance to be pretty
good,"Crawford said. "We have a lot of weapons at runningback and
at quarterback."

Learning Watson Brown's offensive system is foremost on Crawford's
agenda.

"In junior college we ran more of a pro-style offense and at
Kansas, it was more of a spread offense," he said. "Here there some
of everything. I'm learning to move out of different
formations."

With his size, Crawford will be one of Tech's biggest runningbacks
and he's looking forward to contributing as both a ball carrier and
a blocker.

"I get hit all the time as a ball carrier, and I'm looking forward
to doing some hitting," Crawford said.

USA Today Coaches Poll includes two Golden Eagle
foes

Tech's first two opponents of 2010 are included in the latest USA
Today Coaches Poll, including one in the Top 10. Second-week
opponent TCU (Sept. 11 in Fort Worth, Texas), coached by former
Golden Eagle assistant coach Gary Patterson, is ranked seventh in
the poll after finishing last year with a 12-1 mark. Season-opening
opponent Arkansas (Sept. 4 in Fayetteville) is listed 19th. The
Razorbacks were 8-5 last season.

Heisman Hype surrounding two quarterbacks

In addition to being ranked in the preseason polls, Arkansas and
TCU have something else in common -- quarterbacks who are drawing
plenty of Heisman talk. Arkansas is led by Ryan Mallett and TCU's
signal-caller is Andy Dalton.

While those two gunslingers will provide a couple of severe tests
for Tech's secondary, Brown is convinced his defense will learn
valuable lessons from the challenges.

"I think, as a pair, we might have the best combination of
cornerbacks in the conference in Kedrick Towles and Caleb
Mitchell," Brown told the media gathered at Monday's Media Lunch in
Eblen Center. "They should come out of those games as better
players."

Up Next: Second day in shorts and helmets

The Golden Eagles will be on the field Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. for
their second day in shorts and helmets. After that, Tech will add
shoulder pads for practices Wednesday and Thursday, then be in full
pads for the first time on Friday.

Season tickets on sale

Fans can purchase season tickets online at TTUsports.com or from
the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center. Tech hosts five games
in Tucker Stadium in 2010, beginning Thursday, Sept. 16, with a
visit from Lane College at 7 p.m. Tech also hosts OVC foes UT
Martin, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State.
For ticket information, call (931) 372-3940.